The Township of Middletown Sewerage Authority, also known as TOMSA, held its original organization meeting on Thursday, March 31, 1966. TOMSA was formed by the Township of Middletown for the purpose of meeting the wastewater collection and treatment needs of the rapidly developing Township of Middletown. As wastewater related problems in the Township increased, and the number of small wastewater treatment plants serving individual housing subdivisions grew, the need for centralized wastewater collection and treatment became evident. The formation of TOMSA formalized the task of developing this centralized wastewater collection and treatment system. Upon its formation, TOMSA also took over operation and maintenance responsibilities for a number of the small treatment plants serving subdivisions.

During 1968, work began on the construction of a centralized Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is located in the Belford section of the Township of Middletown . The treatment plant was designed to treat 6.5 Million Gallons Per Day (MGD) of Wastewater and to discharge the treated and clarified wastewater into Comptons Creek, a tributary of Raritan Bay. Treated wastewater sludge was barged to the ocean for disposal. The Wastewater Collection Systems needed to convey wastewater from the individual houses to the new treatment plant were installed at the same time.

During 1970, the discharge of wastewater to the Raritan Bay ceased due to the formation of the Monmouth County Bayshore Outfall Authority, also known as MCBOA. MCBOA collects the wastewater from the TOMSA wastewater treatment plant and also from the Bayshore Regional Sewerage Authority, and pumps that wastewater into the Atlantic Ocean through a 4000 foot long outfall pipe and diffuser.

During the early 1980's, the Township had developed to the point where an expansion of the wastewater treatment plant was necessary. In 1985, an expansion plan was implemented for this Wastewater Treatment Plant, which increased the capacity of the treatment plant from 6.5 MGD to 10.8 MGD.

During 1986, TOMSA began treating the collected wastewater of Atlantic Highlands and Highlands. The wastewater of these two communities is pumped into TOMSA's collection system in the Leonardo section of the Township. The collection system of these two communities are maintained by the individual communities.

The TOMSA collection system consists of over 350 miles of underground sewer pipes, including small diameter collector sewers running down the center of the of streets to the larger diameter interceptor sewers which transport  wastewater directly to the treatment plant. The majority of the sewers run to the treatment plant by gravity. there are over 7,000 of the familiar MTS ( Middletown Sewerage) Marked manholes in the collection system.

TOMSA Manhole Cover

In addition to the gravity portion of the system, there are also fourteen pump stations that lift wastewater when the sewers lines become to deep. Two of the fourteen pump stations pump over 3 million gallons per day of wastewater.
Primary Treatment at this plant utilizes long deep rectangular tanks which detain the flow for about two hours, during which time heavy solids settle and oils and greases float. The solids that accumilate on the bottom of the tank are collected and pump to the Sludge Thickening Tank. The floating oils and greases are also collected and treated in a separate tank by the addition of grease eating bacteria. The wastewater then flows into the Aeration Tanks for further treatment.

Primary Tanks 

Aeration Tank 

Mcclees Pump Station

Secondary Treatment at this plant  is accomplished by the use of a biological treatment process called " Activated Sludge". This process takes place in long rectangular tanks where incoming water is mixed with microorganisms and aerated. in the actived sludge process the microoranisms eat the soilds particles in the watewater and itilize the oxygen as they eat and grow. These microoganisms then grow large enought that they can be removed by settling in on of our four final settling tanks.

Final Settling Tank 

Some of this resulting secondary sludge is returned to the activated sludge tanks where is mixes with the incoming wastewater, and the remaining secondary sludge is removed by the final settling tanks and treated in the solids handling process. The clear treated water in removed from the final settling tanks and flows to the Chlorine Contact Tanks for further treatment.

Chlorine contact tank

Prior to the discharge from the treatment plant, the clear trated water is disinfected by the addition of chlorine in the form of sodium Hypochlorite. The sodium Hypochlorite is mixed with the clear treated water and allowed to mix for about a half- house prior to discharge. The clear treated, disinfected water us then discharged  to the Monmouth County Bayshore Outfall Authority( MCBOA) who is responsible for the dicharge of the treated water into the Atlantic Ocean.

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